Sights Set

The UFL made a bold move Monday, holding their draft while free agents are unable to sign with NFL teams due to the lockout. A few of the notable names that didn't get called over the weekend were called on Monday, but the UFL draft was not solely limited to players coming out of college. Case in point: the Virginia Destroyers used the 4th pick to select Martail Burnett, a defensive end out of Utah who played most recently on the practice squad for the San Francisco 49ers. Burnett and the other players drafted now face a quandary: remain in limbo, or sign with a UFL team and possibly miss an opportunity with an NFL team if and when the lockout is lifted?

Burnett was an undrafted free agent who signed on with the Minnesota Vikings before joining the 49ers. San Francisco used its first round pick on Missouri's Aldon Smith, a similar type of player. Both played defensive end in college but transition to rush linebacker in the NFL. Burnett could return to defensive end in the UFL and have more of an impact. The Virginia Destroyers will be coached by Marty Schottenheimer, so Burnett would still benefit from NFL level coaching. It is an expansion franchise, but it received the rights to the players of the now defunct Florida Tuskers, a competitive team that played in the first two UFL Championship games. Burnett's best move might be to jump ship.